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by moatway
Riverview, New Brunswick
September 29, 2006
The visitor passes through the usual security checkpoint into the main hall of the first floor. The first stop should be at the visitor’s information area on the right… an informative brochure is available for self-guided tours while guided tours are offered at 11am and 3pm. The closest room contains a celebration of Maryland’s early history and its part as one of the original 13 colonies. Dominating the display is a full-sized replica of the Maryland Federalist, a boat that, in June of 1788, was sailed to Mount Vernon… a gift from Baltimore merchants to George Washington. (The President’s journal would comment that the boat sank at its wharf 6 weeks later.)
The real encounter with history begins in the blue and white Old Senate Chamber where once sat the Continental Congress which included such notables as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; this is a house through which several presidents have passed. It is here that George Washington resigned his commission in 1783 and where the Treaty of Paris was ratified to end the Revolutionary War.
Italian marble dominates the House of Delegates just down the hall, where the 141 members represent the people of Maryland. The marble, a striking rust and black, has been used to form soaring columns with Corinthian capitals that reach to arches over the balcony. It is an attractive room, from the sky lighted glass ceiling to the dark blue carpeting. Further on, the New Senate Chamber is a smaller version of the legislative chamber, but decorated in red and white. The walls are decorated with portraits of Maryland’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The Maryland State House is replete with reminders of the past… there is the silver service fabricated in Baltimore by Kirk and Sons for the cruiser U.S.S. Maryland in 1906 and the Charles Wilson Peale portrait of William Pitt, who had championed American rights in the English Parliament. As a whole, it speaks proudly of Maryland’s place in American history.
From journal Annapolis: A Colonial Jewel Box
by Kim M.
Key West, Florida
April 19, 2003
There is no need to take a pricey guided tour to visit the state house. Tours are offered free of charge several times a day by the staff -- only a picture I.D. is required. I really enjoyed touring the state house and reading all about its distinguished history. As a fairly new resident of Maryland, I found that there was so much history I was completely unaware of. The Maryland State House is a great starting point for learning about the history of the state from its very founding until the present. What great fun!
From journal A Rainy Afternoon in Annapolis, MD
by Timone
Warwick, United Kingdom
May 10, 2002
From journal Annapolis - A hidden City